Michael Smith managed to qualify for the Grand Slam of Darts in impressive and emotional fashion. The former World Champion, who has been struggling with a serious injury in recent weeks, spoke candidly afterwards about the tough period he has been going through and the tremendous relief his qualification brought.
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The former world champion recently struggled with an injury that even temporarily confined him to bed. Yet, against all odds, he managed to fight back and secure his place at the Grand Slam of Darts during the qualifiers.
“You don’t understand the relief I felt today playing these matches. From three weeks ago crying in bed because I can’t walk to then winning the qualifiers today. Felt unreal,” said Smith on Facebook.
“I don’t show what I’ve been doing in the practice room but some of my game come out to play. Just my emotions.”
His words touched a nerve with fans and colleagues. Smith is known as a player with tremendous natural class, but his openness about mental and physical struggles shows how thin the line is between success and adversity in elite sports.
During qualifying, Smith showed flashes of his old level: strong on the doubles, high scores and, above all, the characteristic fighting spirit that made him the world champion before. That he could show this after such a difficult period made the moment extra special.
Smith also has good experience with the Grand Slam of Darts, having already won the tournament once in 2022. Two months later he became world champion. Whether it will be the same this time seems highly doubtful, but thanks to this qualification Smith can once again look to the future with hope.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
Confirmation of the eight Tour Card Holder Qualifiers for the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts...
🏴 Ricky Evans
🏴 Luke Woodhouse
🏴 Connor Scutt
🇳🇱 Wessel Nijman
🇳🇱 Danny Noppert
🇨🇿 Karel Sedlacek
🏴 Michael Smith
🇩🇪 Lukas Wenig